5 Strange JAPANESE FESTIVALS
1. Kokusekiji Sominsai [Iwate]
This strange image of a bunch of half-naked men is actually the Kokusekiji Sominsai, a festival with a history of more than 1000 years in which the men are struggling to get a bag that has “sominsai” printed on it. The man who has it in the end is said to be blessed. All these men fighting with all their hearts in the bitter cold to become blessed makes it closer to a sport than a festival. Actually, this festival is open to anyone who applies, but there are rules like you can’t eat meat, fish, eggs, or garlic for a week before the festival, so it’s actually pretty difficult…
2. Onbashira Matsuri [Nagano]
The Onbashira Matsuri is a festival that takes place once every seven years. The sight of 16 huge trees being brought in from the mountains only by manpower in order to replace the pillars of the temple certainly has an impact. The “kiotoshi,” where the men slide down the steep hill riding the huge tree is a sight that will leave an impression.
3. Rokugo no Takeuchi [Akita]
The sight of people hitting each other with plenty of bamboo will make you think you’re in the Warring States period. Since it’s a furious battle, there are injuries. The scariest part is that in the beginning the bamboo is really long so you it’s just blunt hits, but once it breaks it becomes sharp enough to be very dangerous.
4. Kanamara Matsuri [Kanagawa]
If we’re talking about festivals with impact, then it’s this fertility festival. In recent years, this festival has become really popular among foreign tourists and every year it gets bigger and bigger. By the way, the phallus in the top photo is, for some reason, named Elizabeth.
5. Paantu Punaha [Okinawa]
When you were a child, did your parents ever say “the monsters will get you” if you ever did anything bad? In Okinawa’s Miyakojima, those children are told “the paanto will get you.” This festival is one meant to banish bad luck, and during it people dress up as paanto and cover themselves and everything else in mud. It doesn’t matter if you’re from the town, a tourist, if the house is brand new or if you just washed your car – it will get covered in mud.
creadit info:
AloJapan.com